Understanding
by GiorgiaKerr
Summary: Booth has some explaining to do. BB, as always.


**Spoilers:** Not really. I just swam a kilometer. Surprisingly energetic. Damn endorphins.

**Disclaimer:** Meh. I love The Who. Cranked up to full volume? _Awesome_!

**Author's Note:** Max and Booth have an awesome relationship.

Couch!

* * *

Booth was signing his last case report when Brennan spoke from the other end of her office couch.

"I just don't see any logical reason for you and my dad to be so… friendly," she huffed. He tossed the manila folder onto the coffee table in front of them, sighing. "I mean, you arrested him and tried him for murder."

_No kidding_, Booth thought irritably, but kept his mouth shut, letting her get out whatever she needed to. Ever since Max had begun working at the Jeffersonian, Brennan had been at him for an explanation. She'd allowed herself to be talked into letting Max stay, but Booth was pretty sure she still didn't now _why_.

"I'm not the only one who thinks that your relationship is odd," she added as if he had actually responded.

Booth just raised an eyebrow. If anyone had an odd relationship, it wasn't _Max_ and him. Hell, not even Sweets fully understood his relationship with Brennan, despite the large amounts of prodding and needling.

"Booth, are you listening?"

Booth took a deep breath; contemplated actually telling her 'no'.

"He honestly wants to make it up to you, Bones," he tried. When it looked as if she were about to protest, he hurried to extrapolate. "I know that he can't give you back those years, and that everything can't just be okay. But Max knows that as well, better than anyone."

She looked at him for a few seconds, considering. "That doesn't explain your friendship," she hedged. Booth took the hint to leave that alone.

"It's not really a friendship, Bones," he admitted. And, really, it wasn't. It was more a state of common interest. He didn't tell Brennan that. "It's… an understanding," he finished carefully.

She frowned and leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees, head tilted to face him. She looked as if she were measuring him, weighing his answer against the probable truth she had decided upon. He held her gaze, trying to convey that he had nothing to hide. After a few minutes, she seemed to have simply thought herself in circles. Booth sighed.

"Arresting your dad wasn't something I wanted to do, Bones," he informed her; though he had a pretty good feeling she already knew that. Still, it never hurt with Brennan to state the obvious. "He knows I did it because I had to. He knew what the consequences of his actions were, and he knew that I would arrest him."

He left it at that, not really wanting to share his side of the story.

"But what about you?" Brennan asked, apparently happy to shatter his resolves. "He killed people, Booth. FBI agents. Doesn't that bother you?"

Incredulous anger shot through him momentarily at the question – of course he cared – but he shoved it down. She hadn't asked as a shot to his humanity, or his duty to his job.

He was of half a mind to ask her why she was suddenly so intent on knowing about his relationship with Max, but bit his tongue.

"You gave reasonable doubt, Bones," he said after a few seconds, knowing that he was nowhere near answering the question.

"You didn't answer my question," she pointed out with a frown. Apparently his partner was unnaturally perceptive tonight.

"I…" He searched for the words. "He did what he thought was right – whether or not it _was_ is beyond the point – and he did it… He did it out of love."

He stopped to look at her, hoping she understood what he was saying. Her frown had only deepened, however.

"I told you during the trial to use your heart, not your head." He raised his eyebrows, and she nodded in encouragement. "Well, Max _only_ uses his heart. He is a smart man, Bones, but he doesn't make decisions concerning his family based on logic."

He held her eyes as she continued to stare, still trying to figure out his point. He and Max had more in common that simply a love for the same woman. Booth remembered exactly how he had acted while Brennan had been missing, taken by the Gravedigger – he still couldn't bring himself to use her name. Nothing he had done had been rational, or logical, or even remotely professional.

Booth knew that had Max been there to see him like that, he would never have had to earn the older man's respect in the first place.

When it came to matters of the heart, so to speak, it wasn't a _choice_ whether or not to act rationally. Not for him, and not for Max.

"You're right," she said finally, and Booth raised an eyebrow. He was what? "The way he acts is totally illogical. It's irrational and twisted to suit his own agenda."

_Uh oh_, now she was getting mad. Booth held his hands up in surrender as Brennan crossed her arms and legs. "Bones!" he interrupted. "That's not what I meant."

When she simply remained silent, he continued.

"What I meant was that everything he did was for you, and for Russ -"

"So it was _my_ fault."

_What?_ "What?" Booth almost groaned in frustration. He knew she wasn't being particularly serious; she just didn't want to hear what he had to say. "No, Bones. Will you listen to me?"

She seemed about to argue, but again remained silent. It suddenly occurred to Booth that maybe she _did_ want to hear what he was trying to say. His expression was almost pleading, non-threatening, and her features softened. He released a breath.

"Max…" He paused, struggling to find words that would make sense to her. Hell, to him. "I know what he did. And as an FBI agent, I can never forgive that."

He paused again and she nodded almost imperceptibly.

"But as a father, and as a man, as a soldier, as your partner…" He frowned as his eyes met hers deliberately. "I can."

Brennan's eyes narrowed, but not out of anger. She seemed to be seriously considering his admission, and when she spoke again, her voice was quiet, almost calm.

"But how can you reconcile what he did?" she asked curiously, he brows knitting. "How can you _understand_ taking a human life based entirely on an unfounded personal conviction?"

Booth thought for a second, then decided that he may as well tell her the truth. He took a deep breath.

"Because he loves you," he said simply. He wondered if she knew that he wasn't really talking about Max anymore.

By the way her eyes flashed, he figured she did. His suspicion was confirmed when she smiled a little.

"When you were missing, when my father helped me find you, I… learned that we, too, have a lot more in common than I thought," she said slowly, as was her habit when talking about personal matters. "Or more than I like to admit," she added with a flick of the corner of her mouth.

Booth couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. Partially because she finally seemed to understand, but partially because he was fairly sure that her admission was well calculated. Veiled as it was, it was something, and she was smiling at him now, shaking her head at his grin.

Barely bothering to think, he reached across the small couch and hooked a finger under her chin, bringing her lips to his. He kissed her softly, once, before pulling back slowly. He couldn't stop another grin at the combination of Brennan's expression – shocked but relatively accepting – and the absurdity of the situation.

He made a mental note to thank Max, though he wasn't sure whether that was the best idea. Despite his… prodding, Max was a father. He still wasn't exactly sure whether or not asking him about sleeping with his daughter had been some kind of test, but he had a feeling that Max had been sincere.

Still, despite the confidence Booth had in his relationship with Max, there were some chances one just didn't take.

Realizing that he'd zoned out, Booth shook his head and grinned at Brennan, who was still looking a little perplexed. He stood up and offered her his hand.

"What say we go annoy Sweets?" he suggested conspiratorially, smirking. Brennan's smile suddenly matched his and she stood up, ignoring the hand but slipping her arm through his. Slightly more neutral, but Booth wasn't complaining. She hadn't hit him for kissing her yet, and that was enough.

For now.

* * *

What do you think?


End file.
